Dear Fellow Rotarians,This new Rotary year began with the handover of the Governor’s jewel from IPDG Darul Abdullah to me on 30th June 2017. The event was hosted by the Rotary Club of Bandar Sunway and was witnessed by Rotarians from clubs all across the Klang Valley, my friends and my family members. Several Rotarians and friends even stayed on past midnight to welcome me as the new District Governor on the 1st of July. I was very touched by the kind gesture.In Rotary, no one can hold on to the leadership seat no matter how good one is or how difficult it may be to vacate that seat at the end of the term. Yes, it is only for one short year. Hence, my dear Assistant Governors, District Officers and Presidents, we as a team have to execute our plans immediately as we only have 365 days to do so.The biggest problem in our District is that of membership. More than 25% of the clubs have a membership of less than 20 members. We must attempt to arrest this problem which has been constantly plaguing the clubs. All Rotarians, with the support of their Assistant Governors and Club Presidents, have an obligation to address this issue. I sincerely hope that all Presidents will recognize this as a problem and genuinely strive to have at least 20 members at any one time. With the right numbers, the clubs will be able to function more effectively to serve the community.One of the areas in membership that we have failed at is that of attracting Bumiputera members. This year, we have appointed Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kg Baru City Center to attract and engage them in Rotary. We, at the District, will give them all the necessary aid to accomplish their mission. We have the dynamic Past Presidents Natasha and Qamileeta who are enthusiastic about Rotary and they will spearhead this Bumiputera membership attraction program. Their first promotion will be at the Raya Get-together on 15th July 2017. I sincerely hope that many Rotarians will attend and support this event.I would like to take this opportunity to remind all Rotarians, especially those holding a position in Rotary, to register and get acquainted with Rotary Club Central for that is the way forward for all future dealings in Rotary. The Rotary.org website has been refreshed and the Rotary Foundation grant application process has been made simple for your easy usage. We want to achieve a 100% registration rate in MY Rotary.The increase in the number of Rotaract clubs in our District augurs well for the future leaders in our District. We must engage these young leaders in all our projects and activities and continue to develop knowledgeable leaders for generations to come. Only then will they feel a sense of belonging and remain in the Rotary family.The Organ Donation Awareness team is working very hard to ensure that our awareness campaign will be a successful one by the end of this Rotary year. You will be hearing from us very soon.We Rotarians work and see differently: Our multidisciplinary perspective helps us see challenges in unique ways.We think differently: We apply leadership and expertise to social issues – and find unique solutions.We act responsibly: Our passion and perseverance create lasting change.We make a difference at home and around the world: Our members can be found in your community and across the globe. That’s the theme for this Rotary year – ROTARY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE. So together, let’s make that difference.Dr Manohur KurupDistrict Governor 2017/18